2026/05/14

CIC bioGUNE brings biosciences and biomedicine closer to students through gamification workshops during Indautxuko Eskola’s Science Week

CIC bioGUNE took part in the Science Week organized by Indautxuko Eskola by delivering three hands-on workshops for nearly 90 students from the school. The initiative brought biomedical research and biosciences closer to the classroom through methodologies based on experimentation, active participation and gamification.

The workshops were designed to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible, dynamic and motivating educational formats, fostering meaningful learning experiences. Through practical activities, collaborative challenges and science-based games, students were able to experience first-hand how scientific knowledge is generated and how bioscience principles are applied to the study of the human body.

One of the central themes of the activities was understanding the role of biomolecules - such as proteins, lipids, sugars and nucleic acids - as essential components of life. Through activities adapted to their educational level, students explored how these molecules are involved in key biological processes including energy production, cellular communication, tissue maintenance, and the body’s response to disease and ageing.

The program placed a strong emphasis on educational innovation by integrating gamification as a pedagogical tool. This methodology transformed learning into an active experience in which students solved challenges, made team-based decisions and applied scientific reasoning in playful environments. In this way, abstract concepts from molecular biology became tangible and easier to understand, enhancing motivation, attention and knowledge retention.

The workshops also reinforced the connection between science, health and everyday life, highlighting how biomedical research contributes to understanding diseases, promoting healthy lifestyles and improving quality of life. This approach enabled students to relate scientific concepts to their daily reality while encouraging interest in science as a driver of social progress.

The initiative was delivered by CIC bioGUNE researchers, including Carlos D. Ordoñez, Jaione Auzmendi, Jone Etxaniz and Oihana Iriondo, and coordinated by the CIC bioGUNE Communication and Outreach Unit, responsible for the pedagogical design, activity planning and adaptation of scientific content into innovative educational formats.

Through this initiative, CIC bioGUNE, member of BRTA, reinforces its commitment to scientific outreach and the promotion of STEAM vocations, fostering educational experiences that bring science closer to classrooms and encourage a more participatory, practical and accessible understanding of biomedical research from an early age.

About CIC bioGUNE

The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About BRTA

BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of 3,500 professionals, executes 22 % of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

Spanish version